Tingen City Docks.
As an inland steamship docked, a young girl holding a parasol strolled down the gangway.
Over the next half day, the girl wandered through Tingen City, stopping and starting, until she finally halted in front of a hotel on Howes Street.
The girl raised her head and, beneath the shade of the parasol, put a monocle over her right eye.
A moment later, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she murmured to herself without sound:
"Pallez, Abraham, 'The Fool,' and there's also a Demoness working together?
"Mm, the Abraham family once intermarried with the Tamara family in the Fourth Epoch, and the latter is now one of the controllers of the Psychic Research Society. They really are on extremely close terms with the 'Demonesses.'
"Heh, their cooperation actually managed to prevent my avatar from sending back even a shred of information?
"This is really interesting!"
The girl removed the monocle, and her lake-clear eyes brimmed with excitement.
...
On the Sonia Sea, aboard the slowly sailing Future.
Cattleya received a letter delivered by the Queen using a "Messenger." After opening the envelope and taking out the parchment inside to read it, she fell into deep thought.
A moment later, she pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose, opened the captain's cabin window, and shouted to everyone:
"Change course. Head to Bayam."
After issuing the order, the pirate general, in a rather good mood, slightly curved her lips upward and began to recall the page of "Roselle's Diary" that the Queen had sent along with the letter, preparing to offer it to Mr. Fool at the afternoon Tarot Club gathering.
But who exactly is this Giuseppe Castiglia? Why does the Queen want to inquire about his information?
...
In the Queen's District, inside the luxurious villa of Earl Hall's family.
Audrey was hiding in her room, gazing at the glass bottle in her hand.
Inside the bottle was a transparent, colorless, viscous liquid. When it was still, it resembled a mirror, perfectly reflecting everything within its range. When it rippled, tiny vortices silently spun beneath the surface.
This was precisely the newly concocted "Hypnotist" potion!
Audrey had already finished digesting the "Psychiatrist" potion and planned to advance to Sequence 6 before the "Psychology Alchemy Society" in Backlund contacted her.
After using "Soothing" to adjust her mental state, Audrey lightly bit her lip, raised the glass bottle, and gulped the potion down.
A short while later, as the bodily mutations gradually receded, Audrey quickly returned to normal. However, when she looked in the mirror, she discovered that although her emerald-green eyes appeared clear, they concealed strange vortices of unfathomable depth, making it difficult for anyone who saw them to look away, easily becoming immersed.
This was a manifestation of spirituality dissipating and not yet fully restrained… Audrey's brows and eyes slowly relaxed, her smile gradually becoming clearer.
Facing her reflection in the mirror, she gently nodded and said with barely concealed delight:
"Audrey, you're already Sequence 6 now."
Once her emotions settled somewhat, she began to carefully examine herself to confirm what new Beyonder abilities she had obtained.
At this moment, her personal maid, Annie, knocked and entered, saying:
"Miss, it's time to try on the evening gowns selected for tonight."
Today was Monday, June 6, and also Audrey's eighteenth birthday. In the evening, a grand ball would be held at her home.
Audrey did not answer directly, instead asking:
"Has Mother already made her selection?"
"Yes. The Countess chose designs from Mr. Sedders and Madam Ginia respectively… especially Madam Ginia. The gown she designed for you at the New Year's Ball already led Backlund's fashion trends, so the Countess is more inclined toward her new work," Annie replied truthfully.
Audrey nodded and said with a faint smile:
"Tell Mother I'll be right there."
After dismissing her personal maid, she glanced at the golden-haired large dog, Susie, who was observing the maids at work, and asked with a smile:
"Susie, did you prepare a birthday present for me?"
"I did, Audrey," Susie wagged her tail and said in a crisp voice. "But it's a secret. I'll give it to you after the ball!"
You even want to give me a surprise? Audrey was very surprised, but she immediately recalled how she had once helped Mr. "Tower" choose a gift, and could not help asking, "It won't be dog food or something like that, right?"
"Of course not!" Susie wagged her tail again, glanced toward the corridor, and said mysteriously, "It took me several weeks to finish it!"
Hearing this, Audrey felt even more anticipation, and at the same time suddenly recalled what Mr. "Tower" had said after taking her to the "City of Miracles":
"I can make a 'wish' to him on my birthday?"
...
Backlund, inside the villa at 28 Kingster Street.
Following Klein's instructions, Ebner "implanted" false grave-digging memories into Melissa and Elizabeth, making them believe that they had personally dug up Klein's coffin and confirmed that there was no one inside.
After finishing this, he handed the two of them over to Hazel and, incidentally, went over the "story details" with her.
After confirming that their accounts were consistent, Ebner looked at Hazel, whose spirit was still somewhat dazed, and said with a smile:
"Although this incident was mainly to help you break free from the 'destiny' of encountering Amon, you did end up passively serving as 'bait,' so you should also receive a share of the spoils."
As he spoke, he took out a Sequence 6 'Prometheus' characteristic and handed it to her.
—This characteristic also came from Amon.
Seeing this, Hazel pressed her lips together but did not refuse. After what had happened earlier, she had already clearly realized just how vast the gap in strength between herself and Ebner truly was.
If this continued, I might not even be qualified to serve as 'bait' anymore!
So she did not want to miss any opportunity to advance.
...
At three in the afternoon, within the mysterious space above the gray fog.
Streaks of deep crimson light lit up along both sides of the mottled long table, solidifying into vague, different figures.
"Justice" Audrey quickly swept her gaze around, then looked toward the seat of honor at the head of the bronze long table, leading everyone in a smiling salute:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"
Meanwhile, "Star" Leonard, who was attending the Tarot Club for the first time, had not yet had time to observe the others before his train of thought was interrupted by this sudden "greeting." He hurriedly stood up, but ultimately failed to keep pace with the rhythm.
"This is the newly joined Mr. 'Star.'" "The Fool" Klein naturally did not blame his former colleague and instead offered an introduction.
Everyone followed suit and examined "Star," only to find that his attention was focused more on Mr. "Tower" and Mr. "World."
Does Mr. 'Star' know Mr. 'Tower' and Mr. 'World' in reality? Or was it those two gentlemen who guided him into the gathering?
As everyone formed their own conjectures, "Hermit" Cattleya turned toward the head of the bronze long table and saluted:
"Respected Mr. Fool, there is a page of Roselle's Diary this time."
"Very good. You may consider what you want," Klein nodded in satisfaction, then had the page of the diary manifested by Cattleya delivered to his hand, eagerly beginning to read.
"October 3rd. Today I successfully invited Miss Isaka to Madam Parlan's estate…
"…Madam Parlan is my secret dressmaker, specializing in the production of… garments and various cosplay outfits.
"And today, I prepared a piece for Miss Isaka…
"In any case, I spent a delightful afternoon… I ask any future friend who reads my diary not to be jealous, because being jealous is useless!
"This is the charm of me as 'Caesar'!
"Hahahaha!"
Looking at this page full of standard "Roselle-style" romantic escapades, Klein's mouth nearly twitched as he helplessly mused inwardly:
I even thought that the Queen Mystic had always provided diaries of high quality… I didn't expect her to stumble this time too?!
Then again, she can't read Chinese characters and can only judge based on the diary's date and Old Huang's emotional fluctuations when writing it, so mistakes are inevitable…
Still, I really have to say this, Old Huang—not only did you play around extravagantly, you even mocked future transmigrators for reading your diary and being jealous of you? Aren't you afraid of retribution?!
Pah! I mean, I definitely wouldn't be jealous!
Even though he thought so, scenes of Miss Sharron changing into various game and anime character outfits inexplicably surfaced in Klein's mind…
(End of Chapter)